A Phenomenal Case of Glorious
by Kentucky Sparkle
Summary: Accusation of infidelity leads an irritated and hurt Kevin to hire his wife's niece as a personal assistant. Case-Lynn (OC) agrees to the role for financial reasons on the condition that she works as a PA instead of reporting his every move. She didn't intend on starting an emotional affair with a married man. AJ Styles/OC/Bobby Roode. Kevin/OC (not Case-Lynn).
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaim:_ This (the introductory chapter and any/all following chapters) is a work of fiction written by a fan. Characters owned by others not Kentucky Sparkle are used without permission for fictional and entertainment purposes only. The original characters (characters not recognized in wrestling canon, fandom, or reality) were created by Kentucky Sparkle unless otherwise stated. Any resemblance of the original characters to real persons or events is purely coincidental.

Summary ** _:_** Accusation of infidelity leads an irritated and hurt Kevin to hire his wife's niece as a personal assistant. Case-Lynn agrees to the role for financial reasons on the condition that she works as a PA instead of reporting his every move. She didn't intend on starting an emotional affair with a married man or falling in love with one of his friends.

* * *

 **A Phenomenal Case of Glorious**

 **Chapter One**

Pain was a necessary evil in his life due to his career as a Professional Wrestler. However, no amount of pain from any of his prior injuries hurt as much as the accusation that his wife had carelessly thrown into their argument.

Angrily, he wiped away the tears that had fallen from his blue eyes. He gripped the crumbled sheets from the California king-sized bed as he sat on his side of the bed. Quietly, he watched his wife prepare her make up in front of the mirror in the master bathroom, neither spoke for a full minute.

Finally, he found his voice, his sarcastic one. "Really, Shell? After all we've been through, especially," He paused as his voice cracked with emotion. He inhaled deeply through his nose and exhaled slowly from his mouth. "Especially after what we've recently experienced and still are going through, you think I'd go fuck someone else? Why? I love _you_ and made vows to _you_. I _chose_ to make those vows. I chose _you_. No one was twisting my arm! I don't need a fucking personal assistant chosen by you to babysit me! I have not, am not, and will not cheat on you!"

Visibly unaffected, she continued to apply the quality cosmetics. Several minutes later, she heard the door to their bedroom slam. She flinched at the loud bang of wood against wood. She inhaled a shaky breath as she applied the waterproof mascara. Her hand slightly shook as she applied the dark goo to her light eyelashes. She whispered, "I love you, too, Kev."

* * *

Later on, in the basement, a fuming Kevin punched the ragged, hanging from the ceiling, punching bag until his bare fists were sore. He was proud of his home gym with state-of-the-art equipment, but he had chosen to keep the old flea market treasure that he had found in his early days in America on the Indies. He had bought a brand-new one when he purchased equipment for the new gym, but it was for Michelle or whoever else may use the gym. This _one_ was his and his alone.

He sat on a bench near the debilitated bag that he had possibly, finally destroyed. He stared at it thinking on why he hadn't replaced it when he moved into this house five years ago. Some would say (Sami) that it was past its expiration date, then. It was sentimental. It had saw him through many rough patches in his life.

He swiped angry tears away from his eyes for the tenth time that morning.

He hated the feeling of being weak, vulnerable. Emotionally exposed, he fiddled with his cell phone as he decided on whom to call. He knew that Sami was most likely knocked out with painkillers or training, because of his recent surgery on both arms. However, he tried calling his best friend, anyhow.

" _Oi! This is Sami as you should know as you dialed my number. Leave me your name, phone number, and a reason to your call. I may return your call or I may delete the message before I listen to it. Do you feel daring? At the beep, you know what to do."_

Kevin laughed, but did not leave a voice mail. It was eerily similar to his niece's voice mail message. His niece! Perfect! He had not called her in ages, but knew that she talked to Michelle daily. He dialed her number as he chewed on his left thumbnail.

" _Howdy! This is the voice mail of Case-Lynn Black. Well, you should know since you called me. I may return your call or I may delete the message before I listen to it. Do you feel daring? At the obnoxious beep, leave me your name, number, and a brief message."_

As he listened to the voice mail prompt, he glanced at the clock. 5:41 A.M. He wasn't sure what Case-Lynn's daily schedule was, but thought it best to apologize in case he had awoken her on her day off. He did know that she worked two jobs and refused financial help each time he offered.

" _Good morning, Case. Call me later. I'm sorry for calling so early. I wasn't aware of the time. The fam is okay. Just wanted to talk to you about something. Love you, munchkin."_

Kevin did not want to take the chance that his voice mail would, indeed, be deleted before she listened to it. He sent her a text stating what he had said in the voice mail.

He dialed the number to his other best friend, Chris.

* * *

Meanwhile, Case-Lynn Black slowly walked from the employee entrance of the hospital where she worked third-shift emergency room registration. She took a sip of the warm, several hours' old coffee from the YETI tumbler that her best friend, Michelle, had gotten her for her birthday last year. She smiled joyously at anyone that she passed even though all she wanted was to climb into bed and snuggle with one of her plush velvet blankets.

However, that was not currently possible as her queen-sized bed was currently in a storage unit with the rest of her furniture and most of belongings, a storage unit that she was close to losing as she hadn't been able to pay the bill in two months. The third month of non-payment would place the storage building on a list to auction the contents to the highest bidder.

She waved to the parking attendant as she walked into the parking garage. She found the older model vehicle she owned in the employee section where she had parked. She opened the driver side door of the minivan and gingerly tossed the over-the-shoulder briefcase containing her laptop and important files unto the passenger side bucket seat. She sighed as she sat on the black bucket seat while tucking the YETI tumbler in the drink holder.

She laid her head against the head rest and stared at the ceiling. White, silver, and gold thumbtacks held the fabric of the ceiling in place. The interior was almost new car clean even though the vehicle was at least two decades old. Until six months ago, she had detailed it herself biweekly and professionally detailed once a month. It was worn, but clean and functional much like her.

She brought her right hand up to cover her mouth as she yawned. She was exhausted. She glanced at her wristwatch out of habit and rolled her eyes. It had stopped working about an hour ago. The dead battery was symbolic to how she currently felt about her life. She opened the glove box to retrieve her cell phone to determine the time.

A non-existent social life paired with an overactive work life meant that she wasn't pressed with having the device attached to her hip or hand. However, a year ago it seemed as if the smart phone had been surgically attached to her person. Her mother's death had stopped the constant reminder calls to this appointment or that appointment. Her mother's long-term illness which had led to her death had, however, multiplied the calls from debt collectors.

When she glanced at the clock, she saw the symbol at the top of the screen that indicated she had both a missed call and a voice mail. Before going into work last night, she had deleted thirty messages without listening to any of them. She wasn't too worried with missing important information. The important people would text her or keep calling. A fairly persistent caller was her friend Sami, but he had recently been distracted with recovering from not one, but two serious injuries.

She groaned in frustration as she lightly hit her head on the top of the steering wheel as her left hand gripped it. Her right hand held the outdated smart phone. It wasn't quite six-thirty yet and the calls from debt collectors had started. She received at least one call a day.

Who else could it be? She wondered. She was fairly certain it was illegal for debt collectors to call before a certain time or after a certain time, but what did she know?

It would never be a boyfriend, because of the baggage she carried.

It would never again be her mother who had died last year.

It wouldn't be the work friends that she seldom hung out with anymore. Even if she had the time to hang out with them, she wasn't interested in being the designated driver, not anymore.

It wasn't the sweet ladies from the church she had, until six months ago, regularly visited after her mother's death.

It wasn't the preacher from the aforementioned church as he and his wife finally got the hint that she wouldn't be back.

It wasn't going to be her persistent friend, Sami. She knew that he would be asleep until seven. However, the last time that she had spoken to him, he had mentioned that training would start in a couple of weeks at six instead of nine. He usually called her in the evening, if he called. They usually sent messages on social media or texts throughout the week.

It _could_ be, Michelle, her paternal aunt and the closest person she allowed a best friend status, but she doubt it.

Until six months ago, she talked to Michelle daily and met at least once a month somewhere between here, Iowa, and Florida where Michelle and her family lived. Michelle called to check on her on Sunday mornings, but throughout the week they would sporadically text. Michelle was busy raising a family and being the wife to a celebrity, whereas, she was currently struggling to survive. Funeral arrangements, medical bills–her mother's and her own–paired with student loan garnishment had wrecked her financially. In between her two jobs, she lived in her vehicle which had been her mother's. She had sold her own vehicle, a KIA Sorrento, three years ago when she moved in with her mother to become sole caregiver.

She did not begrudge or covet her aunt the blessings she had. On the contrary, she was grateful that her aunt had them. Her aunt had a hard life growing up just as she had, perhaps Michelle, had it more difficult in some ways. Although, among other difficult events, her aunt had lost an older brother at the age of thirteen, she had lost a father at the age of six. Then, Case-Lynn, had lost her mother at the age of twenty-two, a week shy of her twenty-third birthday.

Grief tried to overwhelm her at the thought of all she had lost and seemly losing at the moment, however she refused to look at the negative in her life any longer. It was something she had been working on for the last year. There was a silver lining in this dark season of her life, she knew. A breakthrough was approaching. She had to believe that, because she was close to having another nervous breakdown brought on by stress, a lack of sleep, and unresolved grief.

As she stared at the now dark screen of the smart phone, she really hoped that it was Michelle. As guilty as she would feel for asking for a financial handout, she acknowledged that she needed help and that she could no longer continue to do this on her own. They, Michelle and Kevin, had offered several times in the last few years to help her financially as a gift that wasn't expected to be paid back. Kevin had pulled her to the side at the funeral home last year at her mother's memorial when he had heard that the life insurance policy had not been enough to cover the expenses. He had offered to pay for the funeral in full, but she refused his kindness in front of a staff member. The funeral director had not approved of her denial, but respected her choice to make payment arrangements as previously discussed before the offer had been made.

Her stomach growled which reminded her that she hadn't eaten since the peanut butter sandwich from yesterday at lunchtime. She opened the ashtray under the radio console and saw what she hoped to be enough silver to buy breakfast. Twenty-percent of her pay check from her daytime job would deposit at midnight. The other eighty-percent would go to her student loan company.

Hunger won over intrigue. She placed the smart phone in the clean ashtray before she started the vehicle. She drove to the closest drive-thru restaurant and ordered a breakfast sandwich and large water. The cashier at the first window became impatient with her as she counted out the silver and copper. The employee at the second window was much more welcoming and patient as she asked for salt and grape jelly.

She parked in a spot in the corner of the small parking lot under a large tree. She climbed in the back of the mini-van with the paper bag in her left hand and the large water in her right. She sat with her legs crisscrossed behind the driver side bucket seat using a storage tote as a table. The vehicle served its purpose of a means of transportation in addition to a makeshift home and storage. She had two totes full of clothes, one full of scrubs, and one tote with photos and other mementoes. The middle bucket seats and the back bench seat were locked inside the storage building.

She prayed over her food and asked for both employees in the drive thru to receive a special blessing today before she unwrapped the paper over the breakfast sandwich. She slowly nibbled on it as she considered calling in to her daytime job, an entry level, data entry job. She was expected to be there at eleven this morning instead of the usual nine, because she had requested paid time off. She used the accrued paid time off as soon as it was accrued in order to squeeze in extra sleep. Unfortunately, neither job would allow her to cash in the paid time off nor she would have without taking the time off, but it was convenient to use for extra sleep. She couldn't afford to take time off without it being paid, but today she was exhausted. She usually pushed her limits and boundaries of self-care beyond what she should, but she was aware that she needed to take time for that self-care soon or she would end up back in the hospital.

The sound of the default text message tone brought her out of her inner debate. Her brow furrowed. She had recently added an airtime card to the phone. Usually the default tone only sounded when it was a service carrier message. She cracked her neck before reaching through the bucket seats to grab the smart phone from the ashtray.

It was a text from Kevin, Michelle's husband, her uncle by marriage.

It was timed 05:41 AM. This reminded her that she needed to replace her phone as it was two models outdated. The delay in text messages or call notifications had become rather normal.

" _Good morning, Case. Call me later. I'm sorry for calling so early. I wasn't aware of the time. The fam is okay. Just wanted to talk to you about something. Love you, munchkin."_

She read the text twice before she hit the phone icon in the text thread to call him.

* * *

 **A/N** : **Thank you for reading.**


	2. Chapter 2

_**A Phenomenal Case of Glorious**_

 **Chapter Two**

Three days after she had received the voice mail and text from Kevin, she waited on him to arrive at some Waffle House three hours away from where she worked. The small road trip was way out of budget for her, but thankfully before she could decline his request to meet him, he had told her that he would send money through western union for the trip and her kindness as he realized that he was asking her to drive out of state on such a short notice. They both knew he was being diplomatic about her not being able to afford the small trip without warning. However, impromptu the late-night dinner she suspected that he had an ulterior motive to meeting her than to catch up as he had claimed during the short phone call.

She smiled at the waitress as she entered the establishment; it was empty except for two employees, one lone waitress an older woman and a cook barely old enough to work the third shift. She received a call from Kevin thirty minutes ago telling her that when she arrived to ask the server for a table away from the rest rooms, but not in the center of the restaurant as he didn't want to be spotted by fans from the parking lot. She thought he was being paranoid, but she'd learn soon that he was being prepared. He said that he was running behind schedule that instead of getting there first as he had planned; she would most likely beat him there.

The waitress led her to a long booth table in the back corner of the restaurant. The window beside the table had the blind down. Her lips quirked into a half smile as she thought about Kevin being adamant about not being spotted. What did she know about being a celebrity? Nothing.

The friendly waitress with the name tag, Margaret, asked, "What would you like to drink?"

"Water, please." Case-Lynn answered. "No lemon."

Margaret nodded. As Margaret left to retrieve the beverage, Case-Lynn sent Kevin a text message. _Here. Booth in the far R corner. - CB_

Ten minutes later, Margaret returned for the third time after bringing her beverage to check to see if she was ready to order.

"Honey, are you going to order something?" Margaret asked in a tone that belied that she thought she would not, could not.

"Yes, ma'am." Case-Lynn answered, blushing at the implication that she couldn't afford to eat here, embarrassed, because it was technically true. "My uncle is running behind. I'll need another menu. He'll be here soon. Until he gets here may I order an order of hash browns no fixings?"

Margaret nodded as she scribbled on the receipt notepad. She left then quickly returned with the requested additional menu.

Case-Lynn sent another text to Kevin. _You close? Went ahead and ordered something. - CB_

Two minutes after she sent the text, she received a reply. _Yes. 5 min out. - K_

Five minutes after she received the text, she heard Kevin's voice before she saw him. She smiled as she stood to hug him. He engulfed her in a bear hug with her feet a couple inches from the ground. She felt under dressed in her purple scrub top and matching scrub cargo bottoms that were almost a size too big for her. He was dressed in designer dark denim jeans, dark green shirt, and a black leather jacket.

As he slid into the booth on the bench across from her, he said, "It is so good to see you, munchkin."

She sat back down before lifting the crystal clear glass to take a sip of water. "It's good to see you, too, flying monkey."

"I fight. I don't fly."

They chuckled at their exchange that was originally started by Sami, years ago.

Five years ago, she had stayed one semester with Kevin and Michelle in Florida as a college freshman to attend University. She had fallen through the cracks concerning college housing. She had finished the semester out before she transferred back home for the spring and subsequent semesters at Iowa State. It was during that time that she had met Sami and made a fast friend for life.

Margaret arrived with the small saucer of hash browns. She placed it in front of Case-Lynn. Kevin frowned. She asked, "What would you like to drink, sir?"

He replied without looking at her. His gaze was fixed on the hash browns.

"First coffee, black. With the meal, Orange Juice."

Margaret asked as she scribbled the order on her notepad, "Do you need a moment to look at the menu?"

"If you've been to one Waffle House, you've been to them all." He replied jokingly. However, his tone turned dismissive. "However, I do wish to have a moment to decide. Thank you."

If his tone affected the older woman, she did not show it. She nodded before she honored his request for a moment.

"What?" Kevin asked when he looked from the small plate to Case. "I do wish to have a moment to decide."

"Kevin," She said as she slightly shook her head. "Really?"

"Okay," He conceded as he shrugged. "I could have been nicer." He faked a cheesy smile before he rolled his blue eyes. "I was distracted by the lack of food in front of you. You must be hungry. It's close to 2 AM in BFE. You've driven across state lines. Eat something of substance, woman!" He stated before he added. "So help me, if you say you're watching your weight, I'll force feed you deep fried ham and sausage then a pound of chocolate." He paused, "Speaking of your weight, where did a good twenty go since Christmas?"

"You make a munchkin feel appreciated." She retorted as she rolled her brown eyes. "I've lost thirty since Christmas not twenty."

Suspicious, he asked. "You've lost thirty pounds in six months?"

Immediately on the defensive, she stated, "You make it sound like I lost it in an inadequate time period."

Kevin was like a piranha smelling blood for the first time. He sensed she was being defensive about something. He sensed that she may have relapsed in an eating disorder. "What's your WOE and WOF?"

Confused by the terminology of the second acronym, she asked. "My what?"

"Way of Eating and Way of Fitness."

"Well," She said pensively. "I eat with my fingers and I fit a whole piece of pizza in my mouth every once in a while."

He shook his head and couldn't help, but laugh. At least with her as a glorified baby sitter, he wouldn't be bored. The thought reminded him of why he had asked her to drive three hours away to meet him in between shows. He was two hours away from the show he had performed tonight and an hour away from the one tomorrow.

"I will surrender." He held up his right index finger as he continued, "For the moment about this topic of conversation if you order something of substance from the menu; my treat." He extended a menu to her. "However we will revisit this topic at a time I find appropriate which would be much sooner than you'd like."

She rolled her eyes, but grabbed the menu.

* * *

After the meal was eaten and the dishes cleared from the table, Kevin addressed the real reason why he'd asked her to meet him. "When you talk to, Michelle, does she share suspicions that she may have about me?"

Case-Lynn furrowed her brow causing a slightly sideways V to form between her eyebrows. Such an odd, specific yet vague question, she thought. "Hmm," She responded. "With working two jobs I've slacked on talking with Michelle like I used to." Suddenly, feeling awful for neglecting a woman more like her sister than an aunt, she whispered. "I've been so busy and she's usually busy when I do get a chance to call." She paused, a feeling of dread drenching her. "What's wrong?"

He cleared his throat. "Have," He paused and sighed as he ran a hand down his face. "When was the last time you talked to her? Not a shitting the breeze, how are you, but truly talked to her?"

She glanced down at the orange juice she'd ordered when Kevin had asked for a last cup of coffee. She glanced up to make eye contact as she answered, "Most likely Christmas."

Kevin inhaled and exhaled deeply before he stated finally understanding some of his wife's recent behavior, "Then you don't know."

"Don't know what?" Confused and beginning to become scared, she asked. "What's wrong with Michelle?"

"I'd like to say nothing, but that wouldn't be true." He answered which caused little to dampen her fear. "She's not ill." He responded after a moment of determining on what and how to say what he needed. "Five months ago, she had an ectopic pregnancy. She miscarried. Had to have a partial hysterectomy"

She stated, "Oh no." Shocked, her right palm covered slightly parted lips, despair written over her face. "I'm sorry, Kev." She shook her head. "Michelle didn't mention anything of the sort. Five months ago, we talked fairly regularly, possibly every other day. I hate that she felt like she couldn't share something so major with me." She paused in silence as she looked at him. He looked sad, but resigned as if he was coming to terms with what happened, if not had accepted it. She wondered if Michelle had. "Is Michelle talking to you about it? Therapy?"

He laughed, bitterly. "I suggested it individually and as a couple shortly after," He trailed off before he continued. "Well, she would have nothing of it. She told me that it was a private matter," He shrugged. "She didn't want to chance it getting out for the world to know. I was under the impression her OB-GYN, me, you, and a couple of my friends knew. If I thought you didn't know, I would have contacted you myself when it happened." He paused. "I don't think she is talking to anyone about it. She's shut me out, intentionally. Any time I broach the subject; she flips out or freezes me out. It usually turns into an argument." He sighed as he hung his head. He was silent for several moments before he glanced back to her. His eyes were bloodshot as if on the verge of tears. "Michelle accused me of having an affair with a co-worker, my friend Charlotte."

She smiled sadly at him. Sensitive Kevin was one she'd seen several times over the years, but she knew that he didn't like to show that side of him. She always thought of him as a teddy bear stuck in a grizzly bear. "Sometimes, I forget that you're such big star that people want to know every detail of your life." She paused. "Michelle is hurting, obviously. I don't believe for a second that you're cheating on her with anyone let alone with your friend."

In response to her comment, his lips formed a lopsided boyish smile. "Thank you. You've no idea how much it means that you think that way." Unexpectedly, the smile turned into a smirk, "Speaking of being such a big star, I need help."

* * *

 **A/N** : Guest reviews are now on. Apologies to anyone that tried to review the first chapter as a guest and wasn't able to do so. I hadn't realized that the guest reviews are default as off. Thank you for reading. What do you think of the story so far?


End file.
